Olympus Mons UltraEvents
The Hardest Ultra on Earth. Or Mars.
🔥 “Are you f’ing serious?” hardOut-climbs the Barkley. Out-climbs UTMB, Hardrock and Tor des Géants, mile for mile. Out-climbs every organized Everesting event.
🔴 About the Olympus Mons UltraPowered by Skratch Labs®Named for Olympus Mons on Mars, the highest planetary summit in the solar system at 72,000 feet, this Event demands 3.5 days of continuous vertical. Summit, descend, repeat. No flat miles. Every foot of gain is matched by an equal foot of descent. This is beyond Everesting.
Solo, with a Trail Buddy (you both save 25%), or as a Trail Family FlexRelay team of four (you all save 50%). Your pace. Your summit. Your proof. The Cadre treks every Event alongside you. Medical support on-Mountain throughout. You are never alone on that Mountain.
⛰️ IronHike VenuesSame Signature Elevation. Different Mountain.Mohawk Mountain📍 Mohawk Mountain Ski Area · Cornwall, Connecticut · USADuration 84 HoursLaps 122Distance 152.5 MilesVertical Gain 72,590'Lap 1.25 miles · 595' gainCourse Ski slope · Forest trailBadass FeatureThe course runs on the historic Old Appalachian Trail route, the same ground where thru-hikers once walked their way north. Every lap is a piece of trail history.Appalachian Trail Approach📍 Amicalola Falls State Park · Dawsonville, Georgia · USADuration 84 HoursLaps 120Distance 180 MilesVertical Gain 72,480'Lap 1.5 miles · 1,208 stairs per lap · 604' gainTotal Stairs 144,960 (round trip)Course 67% stairs · 33% paved single trackBadass FeatureThe course begins at the famous Reflection Pool and climbs the AT Approach Trail, the official gateway to the 2,197-mile Appalachian Trail. Every lap starts where thru-hikers begin their journey north.🗓️ Event Schedule📋Check In & Safety BriefingWednesday evening🗓️StartsWed night at 12:00 AM (Thu)🔔Final BellSun noon⏱️Length84 hours
💬 "I DNF'd the first time. Came back, made a plan, and stuck to it flexibly. That's the whole game."
— Dr. Scott Festa · 1st Olympus Mons Finisher
🏆 Olympus Mons Ultra vs The World's Hardest UltrasWhen measured by the three factors that define Endurance Event difficulty, Vertical Total, Vertical Density, and Flat-to-Up/Down Miles Ratio, the Olympus Mons Ultra stands alone. At Mohawk Mountain, 477 feet of gain per mile. The continuous climbing and descending workload forces failure faster than almost any other event on this list.
Barkley Marathons, Tennessee, USAApproximately 60,000' of gain. Olympus Mons delivers 12,590' more. Every foot of gain is matched by an equal descent, eliminating the recovery-friendly flats found at Barkley.Hardrock 100, Colorado, USA33,000' of gain. Olympus Mons more than doubles the total vertical demanded by Hardrock. No altitude debt. Just relentless vertical volume.UTMB, Chamonix, France32,800' of gain. Olympus Mons requires climbing UTMB's total vertical twice, plus an additional 7,000 feet. Unlike UTMB's long valley flats, there is no relief from the vertical here.Tor des Géants, Aosta Valley, Italy78,700' gain over 205 miles, the highest total gain on the list. But vertical density tells the real story: Tor des Géants runs at 383'/mi. Olympus Mons at Mohawk runs at 477'/mi. No flat miles. No recovery. Every step counts.💬 "My calves were burning so bad on the first few laps I didn't think I was going to make it. Once I got into a groove I could see it was possible."
— Jack "Quadzilla" Jones · 2nd Olympus Mons Finisher
🌊 Olympus Mons on the Appalachian Trail Approach vs The World's Most Famous Staircases▶See how Olympus Mons compares to the world’s most famous staircases
At Amicalola Falls, a complete Olympus Mons is 120 laps, up and down the staircase each time, for a total of 144,960 stairs. Here is what that looks like compared to some of the world's most famous staircase experiences, each measured the same way: one complete climb and descent.
46.0xEmpire State Building, New York3,152 stairs for one complete climb and descent. Doing an Olympus Mons is equivalent to 46.0x complete climbs and descents of Empire State Building.43.5xEiffel Tower, Paris3,330 stairs for one complete climb and descent. Doing an Olympus Mons is equivalent to 43.5x complete climbs and descents of Eiffel Tower.40.8xCN Tower, Toronto3,552 stairs for one complete climb and descent. Doing an Olympus Mons is equivalent to 40.8x complete climbs and descents of CN Tower.34.4xWillis Tower, Chicago4,218 stairs for one complete climb and descent. Tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Doing an Olympus Mons is equivalent to 34.4x complete climbs and descents of Willis Tower.26.2xManitou Incline, Colorado5,536 stairs for one complete climb and descent. America's most extreme staircase. 68% max grade. Doing an Olympus Mons is equivalent to 26.2x complete climbs and descents of Manitou Incline.
💬 "The hardest thing I've ever done. It took me three attempts to finish it."
— Jason Dow · 3rd Olympus Mons Finisher
👥 How You Can Do ThisThree participation formats. Every format earns the same summit. Every format earns the same proof.
👤SoloGo it alone, surrounded by a Tribe. Your pace. Your summit. Your proof.👥Trail BuddyBring a buddy and you both save 25%. Twice the suffering. All the proof.👥👥Trail FamilyFlexRelay team of four. Self-managed pacing. No minimum laps per person. You all save 50%.Send this to the one person who won’t laugh.
Trail Buddies both save 25%. Teams of 4 all save 50%.
🏆 The Legendary FinishersTo date, only three Mountain Athletes have stood at the Final Bell for the last time and deposited that last token. This is their club. There is room for one more.
Dr. Scott Festa1st Olympus Mons FinisherSpring 2024 · FKT 63+ Hours
Jack "Quadzilla" Jones2nd Olympus Mons FinisherFall 2024
Jason Dow3rd Olympus Mons FinisherFall 2025💬 "I made it to lap 67 before my body just said no. I'll be back. This Mountain isn't done with me."
— Mike · IronHike Olympus Mons Athlete
Your legacy begins now.
💬 "I've run ultras on four continents. Nothing prepared me for this. I left everything on that Mountain. I mean everything."
— Dave · IronHike Olympus Mons Athlete
Not sure this is your Mountain? Try the Elevation Finder. 🧭
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Training, gear, tenting, night laps, what to expect at Mohawk and Amicalola, and plenty more. Or ask your own.
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